Peeta
by MaddiD3
Summary: A few years after the rebellion ended, Katniss thinks about her life, and how much Peeta has changed it.


Peeta

Katniss' POV

Peeta. He's my dandelion in the spring. My ray of sunshine. My best friend. My everything. His warm arms around my shoulder, his soothing voice. He makes me feel safe, calm and happy. He always knows exactly what to say. I couldn't imagine life without him.

I feel like the luckiest person on earth. His sparkling blue eyes greet me every morning; his arms comfort me when I have a nightmare. He refuses to leave me until he knows I'm all right. Most people would think that he is overprotective of me, but I love him because of that. I always know that someone is there to keep me safe from harm.

I could live a thousand lifetimes and still not deserve him. No matter what I do. He deserves someone better than me; someone more beautiful, and someone smart, sweet and kind. Whenever I try to tell him this though, he kisses me and says, "I already have more than I would ever need".

He will never know how much I owe him. He saved my life. When we were 11. When he gave me the bread, after my father died, my mother, sister and I were starving. Before the games started, when he shook his head at me, telling me not to run into the cornucopia. In the games, when he told me to run, after I was stung by the tracker jackers and when he told Panem that the whole of District 13 would be dead by morning, he gave us a warning that the bombs were coming.

He risked his own life, to save countless others, and I can never give him back what he gave to me. Life. He gave my life back. He is the reason I am alive today. He brings me the happiness that no one else can. These past few years would be unbearable without him.

The thing we both enjoy doing together is going to the lake, every Sunday afternoon. It's our time away from everyone and everything. I remember the day I taught him to swim. We stood at the shallow end. I taught him the strokes, and how to tread; he picked it up so fast.

When we started walking to the deeper end, he held my hand tightly, as if he thought I'd try to let go. When he got used to it, and could stand, he twirled me around, and threw me into the air, catching me every time.

But the thing we both hate the most is when he has flashbacks. He holds onto the back of the chair. Then he builds up his anger and lashes out at me. I run up to the bathroom and lock myself in there until he calms down. I can hear him yelling horrible things about me. I know it isn't his fault he, can't control it.

That's when it's my turn to comfort him. After he's finished, he just breaks down, tells me sorry one hundred times and tells me that he didn't mean anything he said. I tell him that I believe him, and we sit there for hours. My arms around him, telling him that he is safe, and that Snow is dead, so he can't hurt him anymore.

I can't stand to see him upset. It brings me to tears. I love it when he is happy. When I watch him baking in our kitchen, or when I watch him paint.

When he smiles the whole room lights up and I know that the Peeta I met before our first games is in there somewhere.

We lost ourselves in that arena. We lost our innocence. We lost our will to live. From there on out, we only had each other to rely on. We lost people we love. It all started with those stupid berries. If I had never pulled them out, and killed Peeta when he asked me to, we would never be in this mess. I know he doesn't think it's my fault but it is.

I'm only 20 for God's sake. I sparked a rebellion, with a handful of berries. I've been shot, burnt alive and bashed. It's my fault thousands of people are dead. Prim, Madge, Peeta's family, Cinna, Finnick, Boggs and countless others, its all my fault and I can't bring any of them back.

But I have to stay strong for Peeta. He lost his whole family. The Capitol has physically and mentally tortured him. I am the only one he has left.

Whenever we go out, he has his head held high, his eyes open, and his hand wrapped tightly around mine. He acts like nothing ever happened.

He brings me the promise that life will get better, and that everything will be all right.


End file.
